Advocacy & Outreach

SAF's Policy and Public Affairs Team works with policymakers, partner organizations, and key coalitions to provide a unified voice for sustainable forest management and forestry and natural resources professionals. From collaborating with legislative and administrative leaders to creating new partnership and engagement opportunities, our team works every day to keep forests and those who manage, study, and care for them in the conversation as part of the solution to society’s most pressing economic, environmental, and social issues.

FIA National User Group

In partnership with the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, SAF convenes annual meetings of partners and stakeholders from across the sector to discuss challenges and opportunities for using data generated by the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program.

Recommendations and action items are developed and shared with FIA program leaders and the broader user community to build awareness, facilitate collaboration, and, ultimately, continue the work of using FIA data to improve management of the nation’s forests. Click below to learn more.

FIA User Group

Our Team In Action

SAF Addresses Mature and Old Growth Initiative in Recent Public Comment

Posted on 2/22/2024
SAF recently commented on the USDA Forest Service’s NOI addressing a proposed amendment to all land management plans for units of the National Forest System.

Updated Position Statement from SAF: Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems

Posted on 2/7/2024
SAF’s Board of Directors approved an updated revision of the “Biodiversity in Forest Ecosystems” position statement.

New Position Statement from SAF: Carbon in the Built Environment

Posted on 2/7/2024
SAF’s Board of Directors approved a new position statement titled “Carbon in the Built Environment,” which focuses on the capacity for harvested wood products to mitigate climate change through science-based, sustainable forest management.

SAF Addresses Climate Resilience in Recent Public Comment

Posted on 7/25/2023
Last week, the Society of American Foresters commented on the USDA Forest Service’s advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) addressing climate resilience on national forests and grasslands.

SAF Publishes Report from FIA User Group

Posted on 5/25/2023
SAF and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) recently convened the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) National User Group for its 2023 meeting.

SAF Educates Congressional Staffers on Capitol Hill with New Educational Series

Posted on 5/17/2023
SAF is a proud member of the Forest-Climate Working Group (FCWG), which is the only coalition of forest sector organizations addressing the essential role of forests in mitigating climate change.

SAF Responds to Mature & Old-Growth Forest Report

Posted on 4/20/2023
Today, the two agencies released a report on their efforts under Executive Order 14072 to define and inventory mature and old-growth forests on Forest Service and BLM lands.

SAF Develops Briefer to Support Updated Forest Inventory and Analysis Position Statement

Posted on 4/13/2023
The USDA’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program is a unique and invaluable source of data to measure our nation’s forestlands.

Our Team

Our Team

Government Affairs and External Relations Staff and more.

Meet the Team

Our Priorities

Our Priorities

Support sustainable forest management and empower forestry and natural resources professionals

Learn More

Position Statements

Position Statements

SAF's national position statements are important components of our advocacy and outreach efforts.

Learn More

Advocacy Tools

Advocacy Tools

Find tips & tools to get you started toward more effective advocacy and outreach

Learn More

View of Forest

National User Groups

SAF convenes stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities for FIA data utilization.

Learn More

Take Action

Take Action

Together we can reach new audiences and share the incredible environmental, economic, and social benefits forests provide.

Learn More